Music (Madonna song)
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"Music" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna as the title track for her eighth studio album (2000). It was released as the lead single from the album on August 21, 2000, by
Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...
and
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
. "Music" was inspired by a Sting concert Madonna attended and was written and produced by her with
Mirwais Ahmadzaï Mirwais Ahmadzaï (born 23 October 1960), known mononymously as Mirwais, is a French electronic dance music record producer and songwriter. Born in Switzerland to an Afghan father and an Italian mother, Ahmadzaï was a member of the defunct 198 ...
. It is a
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
,
electro-funk Electro (or electro-funk)Rap meets T ...
and
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
song in a static key of G minor. Madonna's vocals are electronically manipulated in the track, with the lyrics having political and social undertones and reiterating the uniting power of music. Before its official release, "Music" leaked onto the internet and was put up for listening in websites like Napster, which prompted Madonna's team to issue a statement threatening legal action. "Music" had different release formats with a number of remixes commissioned for the song.
Music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
praised the track's production, catchiness and club-friendly nature, and compared it with Madonna's previous releases. It became a commercial success, peaking at number-one on the record charts of 25 countries, including major markets such as Australia, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. In the latter, "Music" became Madonna's twelfth and most recent number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It was also the longest running number-one song on the US
Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart, spending a total of five weeks at the top. "Music" has been included in many critic lists for Madonna's top singles and is often ranked as one of the best songs of the 2000s. Its accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, portrayed Madonna and her friends enjoying themselves, while traveling in a limousine driven by comedian
Sacha Baron Cohen Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral ...
as Ali G. Academics noted the use of American imagery in the clip, especially Madonna's cowboy garb and her popularizing of cowboy fashion. In order to promote its parent album, Madonna performed "Music" at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards and at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards the following year, where it was nominated in the categories of
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...
. Additionally, the song has been a regular staple in the set list of five of Madonna's
concert tours A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
, the last being the
Rebel Heart Tour The Rebel Heart Tour was the tenth concert tour by American singer Madonna, staged in support of her thirteenth studio album, ''Rebel Heart'' (2015). Comprising 82 shows, the tour visited North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It began on S ...
(2015–2016).


Background and writing

After the critical and commercial success of her seventh studio album, ''
Ray of Light ''Ray of Light'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released in early 1998 by Maverick Records. A stylistic and aesthetical departure from her previous work, ''Ray of Light'' is an electronica and techno-pop reco ...
'' (1998), Madonna intended to embark on a new concert tour in 1999, but due to the delay of her film, ''
The Next Best Thing ''The Next Best Thing'' is a 2000 American comedy-drama film directed by John Schlesinger (his final feature film before his death in 2003) about two best friends who have a child together and a custody battle years after. Starring Madonna, Rup ...
'', it was cancelled. By 2000, Madonna was dating director
Guy Ritchie Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter. His work includes British gangster films, and the ''Sherlock Holmes'' films starring Robert Downey Jr. Ritchie left school at age 15 and wor ...
, and was pregnant with their child. Wanting to distract herself from the media frenzy surrounding the pregnancy, she concentrated on the development of her eighth studio album, ''
Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
''. ''Ray of Light''s success had made Madonna keen to go into a recording studio and she was introduced to French DJ and producer
Mirwais Ahmadzaï Mirwais Ahmadzaï (born 23 October 1960), known mononymously as Mirwais, is a French electronic dance music record producer and songwriter. Born in Switzerland to an Afghan father and an Italian mother, Ahmadzaï was a member of the defunct 198 ...
through photographer
Stéphane Sednaoui Stéphane Sednaoui () is a French director, photographer, film producer and actor. Over the years, Sednaoui has redefined his artistic approach to focus on his fine-art and cinematographic projects. New and existing work have been exhibited ...
. In an interview with
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
, Madonna recalled that her
Maverick Records Maverick was an American entertainment company founded in 1992 by Madonna, Frederick DeMann, and Veronica "Ronnie" Dashev, and formerly owned and operated by Warner Music Group. It included a record label (Maverick Records), a film production ...
company partner
Guy Oseary Guy Harley Oseary ( he, גיא עוזרי; born October 3, 1972) is an Israeli-American talent manager and writer. His clients include Madonna, U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Biography Guy Oseary was born on October 3, 1972, in Jerusale ...
"was given a demo by a French artist called Mirwais hmadzaï. He wanted Madonna's opinion on whether Ahmadzaï could be signed to Maverick, as he was still largely unknown in the United States. Ahmadzaï had always preferred taking musical risks and hence he wanted the collaborations with Madonna to get the best out of her. "The challenge was to make something current appear, something hidden in her personality. Everybody knows adonnaas a chameleon, as a businesswoman. I wanted to show her potential as a musician," he said. Following the introspective mood on ''Ray of Light'', Madonna was ready to be energetic with the new album, and for the title track she wanted something that would make her "feel like an animal, ready to sprung". Madonna said that the inspiration behind "Music" came from a Sting concert that she had attended at New York City's Beacon Theater. There, the audience was well-behaved until Sting began playing old hits by his band,
The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police ...
. The lights were dimmed and everyone came closer to the stage to listen to Sting. "Suddenly, people lost their inhibition and their politeness, and everyone was practically holding hands... I mean, it really moved me," she told ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''s
Jancee Dunn Jancee Dunn (born May 18, 1966) is a journalist, author and former VJ. She is now a contributing editor at O, The Oprah Magazine but is mostly known for her work at ''Rolling Stone'', where she worked from 1989 to 2003. Background She grew u ...
. "And I thought, 'That's what music does to people'". This experience inspired Madonna to write the primary
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
of the song, "Music makes people come together / Music, makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel".


Recording and composition

Recording sessions for ''Music'' began in September 1999 at
Sarm West Studios Sarm Studios is an independent recording studio in London. Originally founded in east London in 1973, the studio's original location was renamed Sarm East Studios in 1982 when Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn purchased Basing Street Studios from Isl ...
in West London. An energetic Madonna wanted to make the title track a party song and a statement about love. Together with Ahmadzaï she started writing down the different parts of the song, picking up chords on guitar and lyrics. Following the completion of the song "Paradise (Not For Me)", they started experimenting with
electro funk Electro (or electro- funk)Rap meets ...
for "Music" and created the primary base of the track. "It's not experimental", Ahmadzaï recalled "but its not completely easy. It was a small victory for underground music". According to Madonna, writing and producing "Music" with Ahmadzaï set the tone of the rest of the parent album. But she faced communication problems with Ahmadzaï since he barely spoke English. "The first couple of days we were recording, I wanted to rip my hair out," Madonna recalled. She asked his manager to step in as translator. "Music" begins with Madonna's androgynous voice uttering the line "Hey Mr. DJ, put a record on, I wanna dance with my baby". After that lyric, her electronically manipulated voice asks "Do you like to boogie woogie?". The producer used an EMS 2000 vocoder to twist the vocals and described to Ernie Rideout of ''
Keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
'' as an effect of going "in fits and starts".
Mark "Spike" Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed She ...
recorded the song on a SSL 9000J console using a Sony 3348 HR and a BASF 931 tape. He mixed it at London's
Olympic Studios Olympic Studios was a renowned British independent commercial recording studio based in Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century, including Jimi Hendr ...
using SSL G Series
Quantegy Quantegy Inc. was a manufacturer of magnetic tape and professional external hard drives based in Opelika, Alabama. Their tape products were primarily used in analog audio and video recording studios, but they also have some use with digital dat ...
magnetic tapes. Tim Young
mastered Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via meth ...
the track at Metropolis Studio at Chiswick, London. According to Rikky Rooksby, author of ''Madonna: The Complete Guide to her Music'', the whole production has a dry sound with heavy usage of equalization which created contrast in the vocal, continuing till the first
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
. Guitar flicks can be heard with keyboard chords on the
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
. The music travels from right to left and vice versa when heard on a headphone. Musician
Stuart Price Stuart David Price (born 9 September 1977) is an English electronic musician, DJ, songwriter, and record producer known for his work with artists including Madonna, Dua Lipa, The Killers, New Order, Kylie Minogue, DMA's, Example, Take ...
, who worked the song for Madonna's 2001
Drowned World Tour The Drowned World Tour (billed as Drowned World Tour 2001) was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums ''Ray of Light'' (1998) and ''Music'' (2000), respectively. The tou ...
, added that the rhythmic structure of "Music" was inspired from Kraftwerk's 1977 single, " Trans-Europe Express". Harmonically, "Music" has a
time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
of common time, and its composition is based on a static
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
of
G minor G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative major is B-flat major and its parallel major is G major. According to Paolo Pietropaolo, it is the con ...
with a moderate
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 120 beats per minute. Madonna's vocals range from G3 to two-lined note of D5, with a basic sequence of Gm–F–Gm–F as its
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
. According to the book ''Madonna's Drowned Worlds'', written by Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, "Music" is a "
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
anthem, and the beat commands
he people He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
to get up and dance". The authors noted that the music was the central identification for the song, with its "splashes of electronica and production tricks" from reverse
cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
crescendo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependi ...
, and "tightly quantized" pitch and sounds from a
Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
. Madonna sang with her mouth close to the recording microphone, which Fouz-Hernández found gave the track a natural sound. Barry Walters from ''Billboard'' found the composition to also contain a blend of French electronica and 1970s electro funk, while Richard S. He of the same publication described the record as "postmodern, escapist
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
". The instrumental riff in the track is created by a 1970s analogue
Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...
, which ultimately leads to the song fading out. The production in "Music" not only referenced disco and funk, but was also
campy Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Camp aesthetics disrupt many of modernism's notions of what art is and what can be classified as high art by inverting ae ...
in nature as noted by Jarman-Ivens. Lyrically the song reiterates the uniting power of music. The primary hook was deemed as having political implications, with Madonna renouncing the
bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...
. Fouz-Hernández believed that the line "I wanna dance with my baby" reinforced a connection with gay listeners because of its "casual, campy style". He compared the track to Madonna's first single, " Everybody" (1982), because in both songs she declares that music "has the power to overcome divisions of race, gender, and sexuality". It also recalled Madonna's early days of being carefree and living alone in New York, while being a staple in the city's night-club scene. According to '' Billboard'', Madonna's vocals "binds a mind-blowing melange of hyperactive beats, grooves, and stinging percussive elements" in the track. The magazine adds that the song is also "saturated" with the influence of Cameo,
Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...
, Nitzer Ebb and
Roger Troutman Roger Troutman (November 29, 1951 – April 25, 1999), also known as Roger, was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and the founder of the band Zapp who helped spearhead the funk movement and heavily influence ...
.


Release detail and leaks

On June 2, 2000, an unauthorized incomplete
demo Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
of the song leaked onto the internet. Snippets of the tracks, ranging from 30 seconds to almost three minutes were circulated through fan websites and music download site, Napster. Madonna's spokeswoman Caresse Norman said that it was an unfinished version. Warner Bros. Records also issued another statement threatening legal actions against Napster lest the song was removed and added their expectation for "the owners who have included this material on their site will comply immediately with our legitimate request that they cease permitting unauthorized downloads of this song." Madonna was disappointed, publishing a letter about the leak on ''Icon'', the magazine released quarterly for her official fanclub. The threatened lawsuit against the leak was reported in the media as Madonna being against Napster, which Madonna clarified was contrary and she "found it a great way for listeners to access music". Warner Bros. Records initially targeted the single to be released to radio in July 2000, but it was pushed back to August 1, with the commercial release for the
CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
taking place on August 21. A new website called madonnamusic.com was created for the single's release with Madonna releasing a message to her fans: "You've probably been hearing about my new record 'Music' for a while, but I just wanted to make sure that you know the single is going to drop very soon. I worked on this track with a French guy called Mirwais and he is the shit." The
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
of the CD and cassette single featured the track "Cyberraga", a collaboration with
Talvin Singh Talvin Singh OBE (born 1970) is an English musician, producer, and composer. A tabla player, he is known for creating an innovative fusion of Indian classical music and drum and bass. Singh is generally considered involved with an electronica s ...
. The track was remixed by
Groove Armada Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles "At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of w ...
, Deep Dish,
Victor Calderone Victor Calderone (born March 20, 1967 in Brooklyn, New York, United States) is an American electronic music producer, DJ and remixer. Biography Raised in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, Calderone was introduced into New York City's nightlif ...
,
Hex Hector Hex Hector (born Héctor Ortiz on April 15, 1965) is an American music producer and remixer. He won a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Remixer. He was born in Manhattan, New York, of a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something ...
, and
Tracy Young Theresa "Tracy" Young, is an American electronic dance music DJ, producer, remixer, and owner of Ferosh Records. With more than 25 years in the music industry, Young has racked up over 60 No. 1 ''Billboard'' Dance hits and has collaborated on ...
; all of them were handpicked by Madonna since it was "more important to erthat my records get played in the clubs. That's where I got my start, and that's where I will probably always feel most at home". Contemporary club music was inspiration behind the remixes with Calderone adding tribal beats and synths around Madonna's vocals. A house beat and bassline was used in Deep Dish's remix, while Hector utilized electro-skewed beats, guitar licks and breakbeat. Young's 13 minute remix used ambient interludes, house music rhythms, trance and 1970s music with Madonna's singing sounding fresh. Club DJs received the promotional remixes on August 2, 8 and 15, while they were released to retailers on August 22 in maxi-CD and double vinyl formats.


Critical reception

Upon release, the song received generally positive reviews from critics. J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of '' Madonna: An Intimate Biography'', declared "Music" as a dance-anthem "that reaches into the future but also slyly conjures images and feelings of the good ol' disco days". In a similar review,
Lucy O'Brien Lucy O'Brien (born 13 September 1961)Author Biography, O'Brien, Lucy – She Bop: The definitive history of women in rock, pop, and soul, London: Penguin, 1995 is a British author and journalist whose work focuses on women in music. Early musi ...
, author of '' Madonna: Like an Icon'', relegated the track as "a resurrection of the disco girl" image. She listed "Music" as a career-defining moment for Madonna, like previous singles "
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
" and "
Justify My Love "Justify My Love" is a song by American singer Madonna from her first greatest hits album ''The Immaculate Collection'' (1990). It was released on November 6, 1990, by Sire Records as the lead single from ''The Immaculate Collection''. The song w ...
" (both released in 1990). O'Brien clarified the song as "the same genre defining quality, robotic, tinny, trashy and audacious... She resurrects the Madonna imperative. Dance. Party. Surrender".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
called it "a thumping track which sounds funkier, denser, sexier with each spin". Jim Farber of the ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'' gave a positive feedback, stating that it is "everything a single should be: pithy, simple and maddeningly catchy, her most instantly embraceable single since '
Holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...
'". Farber also highlighted the lyrics, which he felt covered familiar ground for Madonna by talking about the power of dance music. This thought was shared by Fouz-Hernández, who believed that like her debut single "Everybody", "Music" defined Madonna's artistic credibility. Reviewing the parent album for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', Barry Walters also compared it to Madonna's earlier work. Sal Cinquemani from ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'' called it Madonna's best dance track since "Vogue", also comparing it to her 1985 single, "
Into the Groove "Into the Groove" is a song by recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured on the 1985 film ''Desperately Seeking Susan''. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; the ...
". In his review of Madonna's 2001 compilation ''
GHV2 ''GHV2'' (an abbreviation of ''Greatest Hits Volume 2'') is the second greatest hits album by American recording artist Madonna. Maverick and Warner Bros. Records released it on November 13, 2001, coinciding with the video album, '' Drowned Wor ...
'', Cinquemani praised the single's "retro club beats and vintage synth sound". Giving it a B rating, he concluded that "only a former material girl living in a
NASDAQ The Nasdaq Stock Market () (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations Stock Market) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the US by volume, and ranked second ...
world could get away with a song like this". Dimitri Ehrlich from ''
Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'' found "Music" to be "a bouncing parade of synthesizers that pose the question 'Do fortysomething baby-mamas still have the divine right to get down?' (The answer is yes)". Chuck Arnold from ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', called it one of Madonna's "most eccentric hits ever" and found it to be reminiscent of her earlier works, specifically "Holiday". '' Billboard''s Chuck Taylor praised the song as a "stunning enterprise, a ballsy testament to adonna'sinsistence on being a style-setter and one of the industry's most savvy—and now critically accountable—tunesmiths". He believed that both radio and the audience would be shocked with the experimentation Madonna achieved in the track. Larry Flick from the same publication described the song as "anthemic", also predicting a positive commercial reception. Ethan Brown, from '' New York'' magazine, stated that the song "elicits memories of past pop odes to dance culture", and praised its "giddy mix of electro-bounce, campy vocoder chants, and funky keyboard squeals". Charlotte Robinson of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' believed that "Music"'s appeal lay in the "freewheeling, fun spirit" nature of Madonna, which had initially made her popular. However, she also called it a "goofy
Rick James James Ambrose Johnson Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, James began his musical career in ...
rip-off". For
Medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation *Medium bomber, a class of war plane *Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium of ...
's Richard LaBeau, "this bold and aggressive electro-funk song may not be particularly lyrically inspired but it is rightfully hailed as one of her finest and most unexpected hours". Negative criticism came from ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''s Garry Mulholland, who described the track as "the sound of a bunch of middle-aged trend-watchers second-guessing what today's kids go for ..the absolute definition of mutton-dressed-as-lamb middle-youth". Alex Pappademas from '' Spin'', pointed out that "its dancefloor liberation mantra feels forced". Danny Eccleston from '' Q'' described the song as "daring gambit" and found that the track did not resemble any Madonna endeavor. He panned the over-usage of the electronic sounds and compared "Music" unfavorably to
Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
's " Around the World" (1997).


Chart performance

"Music" topped the charts in 25 countries. Prior to the official release of the song, it started receiving
airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
in US radios due to public demand, as noted by Paul Bryant, program director at
WHTZ WHTZ (100.3 FM) is a commercial top 40/CHR station licensed to Newark, New Jersey and broadcasting to the New York metropolitan area. Owned by iHeartMedia, WHTZ is the flagship station for '' Elvis Duran and the Morning Show''. The WHTZ studios ...
(Z100) station in New York. There was equal anticipation regarding retail sales of the track. On August 12, 2000, "Music" entered at number 41 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the second-highest debuting single based solely on radio play.
Fred Bronson Fredric M. "Fred" Bronson (born January 10, 1949) is an American journalist, author and writer. He is the author of books related to #1 songs on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and other books related to various music charts as well. He is also k ...
from ''Billboard'' noted that it was Madonna's highest-debuting single on the Hot 100 since "
The Power of Good-Bye "The Power of Good-Bye" is a song by American singer Madonna, taken from her seventh studio album ''Ray of Light'' (1998). It was written by Madonna and Rick Nowels, and was produced by the singer with William Orbit and Patrick Leonard. The s ...
" entered at number 24 in October 1998. The song debuted at number 38 on the
Hot 100 Airplay The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout the United States acro ...
chart, garnering an audience of 38 million. "Music" continued ascending up the Hot 100 and following the commercial release, it jumped from number 14 to number 2 on the chart dated September 9, 2000. The CD maxi and 12-inch vinyl sold a combined 62,500 copies, leading it to debut at number three on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. Silvio Pietroluongo from ''Billboard'' observed that only Madonna's "
This Used to Be My Playground "This Used to Be My Playground" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna. It is the theme for the film ''A League of Their Own'', which starred Madonna, and portrayed a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Profession ...
" single had debuted with more sales, 76,000 copies in August 1992. The next week, "Music" sold a further 156,234 units and topped the Hot 100, replacing
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
's " Doesn't Really Matter". It was Madonna's 12th song to reach the summit, her first number-one single since " Take a Bow" in February 1995 and her most recent number one on the chart to this day. She tied
the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...
and moved to fifth rank among artists with most Hot 100 number-ones. The song amassed the highest weekly sales total and the highest points (23,110) for a song topping the chart. "Music" was certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), for shipment of over a million copies, and as of August 2009 had sold 1.136 million in physical CD sales, and an additional 217,000 in digital download. "Music" placed at number 17 on the ''Billboard'' Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2000. Aided by the official remixes, the song also reached number-one on the
Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart, remaining atop for five weeks. It was the top ranking Dance Club song of 2000 and the second most-successful Dance Club song of the 2000s decade in the United States, behind Madonna's own "
Hung Up "Hung Up" is a song by American singer Madonna from her tenth studio album ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'' (2005). Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was released as the album's lead single on October ...
" (2005). In Canada, the song debuted at number 23 on the ''RPM'' Singles Chart and reached the top after five weeks. It was present on top of the charts for a total of nine weeks and was the final song to remain atop the chart when ''RPM'' ceased publication in November 2000. "Music" was also a success in Australia and New Zealand. The song debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart, where it stayed for three consecutive weeks and a total of four weeks. It was the fourth best-selling single in the country and was certified double platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA) for shipment of 140,000 copies. In New Zealand, "Music" debuted at number 33 on the New Zealand Singles Chart, and ascended to the top ten, finally peaking at number one on the week of October 1, 2000. In the United Kingdom, "Music" debuted on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
at number one with first-week sales of 115,000 copies. It faced tough competition with Spiller's " Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" and beat the latter by 1,000 sales. Madonna became the first solo female artist to collect ten number-one singles. The song was present on the chart for 24 weeks, and was the 24th best selling release of 2000 in the country. The
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
(BPI) certified it gold in July 2013, and according to the
Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
, "Music" is Madonna's 14th best-selling single and sold 415,000 copies in the region as of February 2014. Making its debut at its peak position of number 8, "Music" charted for a total of 20 weeks in France, before falling out on January 6, 2001. On August 31, 2000, "Music" debuted at number two on the
Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and known by its current name since October 2007, based on sales data from the Swedish ...
. Similarly in Switzerland, the song debuted at number one, and spent 21 weeks in the chart. The single's performancein the UK and Europe enabled it to debut atop the
European Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and '' Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...
chart, with greatest gaining points on the radio and dance charts. It was present in the position for six weeks In Italy, "Music" debuted at the top of the ''
Musica e Dischi ''Musica e dischi'' was the oldest and long-running music industry publication in Italy. '' Billboard'' defined the publication as the "Italian record bible". History It was founded in October 1945 in Milan, Italy, on the initiative of the journ ...
'' charts, spending seven weeks at the number one, of which six were consecutives. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Madonna".


Music video


Conception and filming

The accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, who had previously helmed Madonna's "
Ray of Light ''Ray of Light'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released in early 1998 by Maverick Records. A stylistic and aesthetical departure from her previous work, ''Ray of Light'' is an electronica and techno-pop reco ...
" clip in 1998. It stars Madonna, her longtime backup singer
Niki Haris Niki Haris (born April 17, 1962) is an American singer and dancer of pop, R&B, dance music and jazz, perhaps best known for having been one of Madonna's backing vocalists from 1987 to 2001, and as being the guest lead vocalist on various Snap! s ...
and her friend, actress
Debi Mazar Deborah Anne Mazar Corcos (; born August 13, 1964) is an American actress and television personality, known for playing sharp-tongued women. She began her career with supporting roles in ''Goodfellas'' (1990), '' Little Man Tate'' (1991) and ''S ...
, as well as comedian
Sacha Baron Cohen Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral ...
as his famous character Ali G. Madonna became a fan of the comedian after watching his Christmas special, '' Ali G, Innit'' (1999). When the video was planned Madonna thought that Baron Cohen "would be great in it", although it was confirmed that he was not going to be involved in the musical aspects. Åkerlund stated that originally they intended to have American comedian Chris Rock in the video. Since Baron Cohen was not known in the US at that time, the director showed everyone clips from ''
Da Ali G Show ''Da Ali G Show'' is a British Satire, satirical television series created by and starring English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. In the series, Baron Cohen plays three unorthodox journalists: faux-streetwise poseur Ali G, Kazakh reporter Borat Sag ...
'' so they could see the Ali G character.
When we did the 'Music' video, it was a weird time. adonnawas pregnant and we didn't want her to look pregnant—so we had to work around that. We had an idea to do a fun party video with her and her girls, make it a little bling and cowboy hats and all that. We wanted to have some comedy in there and I wanted to do some animation.
The video was shot in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in April 2000, to accommodate Madonna's pregnancy and her then-growing waistline. Crew members were asked to sign confidentiality documents for the filming. Madonna conceptualized the clip, wanting to show her take on the stereotypical R&B and rap music videos. She wanted to do role reversals with females enacting characters generally reserved for males. However, her range was limited being pregnant so she "had to think of a concept that would incorporate me being almost a voyeur rather than the central force in the video. So I figured if I played this kind of mack-daddy/pimp character, where things just came to me, happened to me and happened around me while I was watching it all happen, I could kill two birds with one stone." Madonna's look in the clip was described by O'Brien as a "ghetto-fabulous female in a feather boa and stetson; all diamonds and bling, going to lapdancing bars and travelling in the back of a luxury limousine". She had initially enlisted some actors to portray her accompaniments in the video, but she did not feel comfortable with their stiffness, their model-like appearance and lack of personality. So she called up Mazar and Harris to come and star in the video. "I was at home when Madonna called me. She said 'I need my girlfriend, not these fake girl-friends trying to be my girlfriends. Throw on some clothes and come down'", recalled Harris. Ali G kept entertaining everyone in the set with Madonna not being able to "keep a straight face" during her takes. She kept her coat shut all the time and had to sit in the limousine to hide her belly.


Release and reception

The music video debuted on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
and VH1 on August 22, 2000. VH1 channel aired a special hour-long program, ''Madonna's Music'', in which Madonna called in for a phone interview. It was hosted by VH1's Rebecca Rankin who presided a discussion with ''Rolling Stone'' music critic Joe Levy about Madonna and her looks, as well as a video interview with Mazar and Harris. VH1 also aired a countdown of Madonna's previous videos and offered its viewers to listen to a remix of "Music". The clip starts with Madonna and her friends getting into a limousine, driven by Ali G. As the music starts Ali G is directed to take them to a club where Madonna and her friends dance and drink. He later takes them to a strip-club, where Madonna goes inside but he is denied entrance. An animated section follows where Madonna, as a superhero character with superpowers, flies above rooftops, swims underwater, and works as a DJ at a club with a dozen arms like a Hindu deity. Madonna's animated character also attacks various neon signs displaying the names of her previous singles. The video ends with Madonna and her friends traveling in the limousine packed with the strippers and Ali G engaging in a rendezvous with them. According to author
Georges Claude Guilbert Georges-Claude Guilbert (born May 18, 1959) is a French literary critic and academic who teaches American literature, gender studies, and popular culture. He is Professor in American Studies at the University of Havre, France. He was one of the e ...
, throughout the clip Madonna wears a gold necklace around her neck that says "Mommy", a reference to her apparent pregnancy. In the extended version of the music video, there is a variation at the end of the animated section. Ali G briefly interrupts the song to demonstrate his rap skills to persuade Madonna to include him on her next single. An annoyed Madonna asks him to stop and to turn the song back on. Jarman-Ivens noted the use of American imagery in the clip, especially Madonna's cowboy garb and her popularizing of cowboy fashion. She found it interesting that Madonna "turned" to Americana, "underlining her interest in exploring her relationship to mainstream America through a fashion and cultural style that is rich and multi-layered in its meaning". The author also emphasized Madonna's sexual assertiveness in the music video, and emphatic defining of herself as "a sexual free spirit", as well as portrayal of expensive accouterments. "Music" was released as a
DVD single A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
on September 5, 2000. It reached the top of the UK Music Video charts and number three on the US Music Video charts, receiving gold certification in both regions. The clip was parodied on the sixth season of ''
Mad TV ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentie ...
'' and was called "My Movies". It featured
Mo Collins Maureen Ann Collins (born July 7, 1965) is an American actress and comedian who was a member of the ensemble on FOX's sketch comedy series '' Mad TV''. Collins became well known for several characters during her tenure on the show. She was ...
as Madonna and poked fun at Madonna's filmography, with an animated version of Madonna attacking signs displaying her commercially flop films. In 2009, the video was included on Madonna's compilation, '' Celebration: The Video Collection''.


Accolades and recognition

"Music" earned two nominations at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards, in the categories of
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...
. It also won the
ASCAP Awards The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit Performance rights organisation, performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' ...
in the categories of Most Performed Pop Songs and Top Dance Songs. The video won several awards, including "Best Pop Clip of the Year" at the 2000 ''Billboard'' Music Video Awards and "Best Dance Video" at the
International Dance Music Awards The International Dance Music Awards or IDMAs is an annual awards ceremony held in Miami Beach, Florida, United States as a major part of the Winter Music Conference. The awards have been held every year since the conference's creation in 1985 e ...
in 2000. At the
Danish Music Awards The Danish Music Awards (DMA) is a Danish award show. The show has been arranged by IFPI since 1989, and was originally called ''IFPI-prisen'' ("IFPI-Award") until 1991, when it changed its name to ''Dansk Grammy'' ("Danish Grammy"). It was chang ...
it won the trophy of Best International Hit. The 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards nominated the track in the category of Best Song. "Music" also received a nomination at the 2001
TEC Awards The TEC Awards is an annual program recognizing the achievements of audio professionals. The awards are given to honor technically innovative products as well as companies and individuals who have excelled in sound for television, film, recordings, ...
, for its record production, and International Song of the Year at the 2001
NRJ Music Award An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisio ...
. "Music" has been included in many critic lists for Madonna's top singles and is often ranked as one of the best songs of the 2000s. ''
Dotmusic ''Dotmusic'' was a music webzine that existed as a standalone website from 1 June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine ''Music Week'', the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a ...
'' placed it within its top-ten singles for 2000. In 2003, ''
Q Magazine ''Q'' was a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series '' The Old Grey Whistle Test''. ...
'' ranked the song at number 778 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever". ''Rolling Stone'' listed "Music" as the 66th best of the 2000s decade, commenting that "despite all the new pop starlets out there trying to jump her train, Madonna definitely snot slackening pace. When she dropped "Music". she was older than Britney and Christina combined, yet she took them to school with vintage electro-boom, Eurodisco flourishes from French producer Mirwais, and her own inimitable sass." The publication also ranked it at number nine on their list of Madonna's 50 Greatest Songs, writing that "After years spent making albums that bridged boundaries of race, gender and sexual orientation, Madonna finally wrote a tune explicitly devoted to the democratizing power of music itself." ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
''s Matthew Jacobs ranked it at number 11 on his list "The Definitive Ranking Of Madonna Singles". Jacobs believed that the phrase "Hey Mr. DJ" gave rise to the usage of name-checking in songs thereafter, employed by other artists like
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
, Black Eyed Peas and
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
. In 2011, VH1 created a countdown of the top songs of 2000 decade and placed Music" at number 28. ''Entertainment Weekly'' likewise ranked "Music" at number seven on their list of Madonna's 35 top singles, saying that the "message
n the song N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...
is universal". Michael Roffman from
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
listed the track at number 15, feeling that the commercial reception to the release of "Music" was "almost meta come to think of it; the song ''did'' make people come together". Enio Chola of ''PopMatters'' placed "Music" at number five in his list of The Top 15 Madonna Singles of All Time, feeling that "After the confessional ''Ray of Light'', Madonna was ready to dance again, and like no one else can, she proved that her ability to write pure unadulterated mega pop hits was still in full form as she began the third decade of her music career." ''
LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...
''s Michael Cooper ranked the track at number 12 in his list of Madonna's Top 20 Singles. He opined that Ahmadzaï's production of the track " elpedto cement Madonna as the queen of reinvention". Ed Masley of ''
The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...
'' placed it at number 13 on his Essential Madonna playlist. Writing for ''The Guardian'',
Jude Rogers Jude Rogers (born 1978) is a Welsh journalist, lecturer, arts critic and broadcaster. She is a music critic for ''The Guardian'' and also regularly writes features and articles for ''The Observer'', ''New Statesman'' and women's magazines such a ...
listed "Music" at number 10 on her ranking of Madonna's singles, in honor of her 60th birthday. Similarly, ''Entertainment Weekly'' listed it as her seventh best single.


Live performances

The first live performance of "Music" took place during the promotional concerts for the album, held on November 5, 2000, at New York City's
Roseland Ballroom The Roseland Ballroom was a multipurpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's theater district, on West 52nd Street in Manhattan. The venue, according to its website, accommodat ...
, and on November 29 at London's
Brixton Academy Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Wes ...
. During the New York performance, she wore a black tank top with "
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
" written on it, along with cowboy hats and boots. For the London performance, Madonna wore a different T-shirt, with the names of her son Rocco and daughter Lourdes printed on it. On November 16, 2000, Madonna performed "Music" during the
MTV Europe Music Awards 2000 The 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards were held on 16 November 2000 at the Ericsson Globe, Stockholm. Performers included Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue. The Spice Girls performance was their last before their sep ...
. She was introduced by Ali G as " Maradona" and wore a tank top with "
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
" printed on it. A day later, she later performed "Music" and " Don't Tell Me" on British television program ''
Top of The Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' and one week later on French television program ''Nulle Part Ailleurs''. On February 21, 2001, Madonna opened the 43rd Grammy Awards with a performance of the track. The stage had five giant video screens, which showed clippings from her career. Madonna entered the stage in a Cadillac driven by rapper Bow Wow. She emerged dressed in a full-length fur coat, which she removed to reveal a tight leather jacket and jeans. She took off the jacket to reveal a black tank top with the words "
Material Girl "Material Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album, '' Like a Virgin'' (1984). It was released on November 30, 1984, by the Sire label as the second single from ''Like a Virgin''. It also appears slightly ...
" and performed the song, joined by backup singers
Niki Haris Niki Haris (born April 17, 1962) is an American singer and dancer of pop, R&B, dance music and jazz, perhaps best known for having been one of Madonna's backing vocalists from 1987 to 2001, and as being the guest lead vocalist on various Snap! s ...
and
Donna De Lory Donna De Lory is an American singer, dancer and songwriter. Part of a musical family, De Lory has been performing since a young age. Her voice can be heard on albums by Carly Simon, Ray Parker Jr., Kim Carnes, Santana, Martika, Laura Braniga ...
. For the
Drowned World Tour The Drowned World Tour (billed as Drowned World Tour 2001) was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums ''Ray of Light'' (1998) and ''Music'' (2000), respectively. The tou ...
in the same year, "Music" was used as the final encore. Madonna wore tight black jeans and a customized
Dolce & Gabbana Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cosmet ...
halter top that proclaimed "Mother" in the front and "F*cker" in the back. She sang the song surrounded by her dancers, while images from her past music videos were displayed on the backdrops. In his review, ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
''s Alex Needham commented that the performance "underlines how easily adonnacould have brought the audience to collective orgasm by simply reeling out her classics". The performance on August 26, 2001, at
The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shoc ...
was recorded and released in the live
video album A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
, ''
Drowned World Tour 2001 The Drowned World Tour (billed as Drowned World Tour 2001) was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums ''Ray of Light'' (1998) and ''Music'' (2000), respectively. The tou ...
''. "Music" was later added to the
Re-Invention World Tour The Re-Invention World Tour (billed as Re-Invention World Tour 2004) was the sixth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, in support of her ninth studio album ''American Life'' (2003). The tour began on May 24, 2004, in Inglewood a ...
of 2004. Set to a slower, hip-hop inspired remix, the performance featured Madonna and her dancers wearing
Scottish kilt A kilt ( gd, fèileadh ; Irish: ''féileadh'') is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish H ...
s and a lighted staircase surrounding a DJ Station. At the end, Madonna and her dancers lifted up their kilts to spell the word "FREEDOM", with glitter letters on their underpants. MTV's Corey Moss opined that during the performance "Madonna and her dancers transformed the arena into a steamy nightclub". The next year, Madonna performed "Music" at the
Live 8 Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland, from 6–8 July 200 ...
benefit concert in London. On the 2006
Confessions Tour The Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, launched in support of her tenth studio album, ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'' (2005). The tour began in Inglewood on May 21, 2006, and ended in Tokyo on ...
, Madonna performed "Music Inferno", a mashup of "Music" and
The Trammps The Trammps are an American disco and soul band, who were based in Philadelphia and were one of the first disco bands. The band's first major success was their 1972 cover version of " Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", while the first disco t ...
's "
Disco Inferno "Disco Inferno" is a song by American disco band the Trammps from their 1976 fourth studio album of the same name. With two other cuts by the group, it reached No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs chart in early 1977, but had limit ...
". It began with several dancers on roller skates emerging from beneath the stage to perform "'' Xanadu''-worthy tricks", while the stage was bathed in deep red lights. Madonna appeared wearing a white suit and performed the track; the performance also included a sample from her song "Where's The Party", from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986), at the beginning. Halfway through the performance, Madonna walked to the center stage where, according to MTV's Corey Moss, she did "her best '' Saturday Night Fever''-era John Travolta routine, complete with the 'hitchhike' (you know, thumbs to the side)". The performance of the song at the August 15–16, 2006 shows in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, at the
Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-sea ...
, were recorded and included on Madonna's second live album, ''
The Confessions Tour The Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, launched in support of her tenth studio album, ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'' (2005). The tour began in Inglewood on May 21, 2006, and ended in Tokyo on ...
'' (2007). "Music" was the closing song on the
Hard Candy Promo Tour ''Hard Candy'' is the eleventh studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on April 19, 2008, by Warner Bros. Records. The album was her final studio album with the record company, marking the end of a 25-year rec ...
. Madonna wore a skintight black suit and a lace top, and began the performance by singing the song at the very front of the stage
a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
, before all her dancers joined. It ended with Madonna racing up the stage to the subway doors, behind which she disappeared. It was also included as the last song of the ''Old School'' segment of her
Sticky & Sweet Tour The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Madonna, to promote her eleventh studio album, ''Hard Candy (Madonna album), Hard Candy'' (2008). It was Madonna's first major venture under a new ten-year 360 deal with Liv ...
(2008–09), where Madonna performed the same version as the promotional tour, but sampling
Indeep Indeep was a 1980s New York-based group that was best known for its song " Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life". Career The group was led by its songwriter-musician Michael Cleveland, and it was known for employing a strong disco-esque bass line a ...
's " Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" at the beginning as well as mashing it up with Fedde le Grand's "
Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit "Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit" (formatted as "Put Your Hands Up for Detroit" outside Benelux) is a song written and produced by Dutch electronic producer and DJ Fedde le Grand. It samples Matthew Dear and Disco D's "Hands Up for Detroit". Histor ...
"; the backdrop screens depicting a graffiti-splattered
New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 2 ...
train. Madonna's outfit, a pair of gym shorts with long socks and sneakers, was a reference to her old days in New York. The performance of the song at
River Plate Stadium Estadio Monumental (), officially Estadio Mâs Monumental for sponsorship reasons,Sticky & Sweet Tour The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Madonna, to promote her eleventh studio album, ''Hard Candy (Madonna album), Hard Candy'' (2008). It was Madonna's first major venture under a new ten-year 360 deal with Liv ...
'' (2010). In 2012, Madonna included the song on her Super Bowl XLVI halftime show set list, where it was remixed with
LMFAO LMFAO (an initialism for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off or Laughing My Fucking Ass Off) are an American electronic dance music duo consisting of Redfoo and Sky Blu. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Nancy Le ...
's "
Party Rock Anthem "Party Rock Anthem" is a song by American music duo LMFAO, featuring British singer Lauren Bennett and American music producer GoonRock. It was released as the first single from their second album '' Sorry for Party Rocking'' in 2011. The sin ...
" and "
Sexy and I Know It "Sexy and I Know It" is a hit song by American duo LMFAO from their second studio album, ''Sorry for Party Rocking''. It was released as the third single from the album on September 16, 2011. The song was written by Stefan Kendal Gordy, GoonRock ...
". The same year, she performed it on
The MDNA Tour The MDNA Tour was the ninth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her twelfth studio album, '' MDNA'' (2012). Comprising 88 shows, the tour began on May 31, 2012, in Tel Aviv's Ramat Gan Stadium and concluded in Cór ...
at New York City's
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
, on November 13. She invited South Korean rapper
Psy Park Jae-sang (, ; born December 31, 1977), known professionally as Psy (stylized in all caps as PSY) (; ; ), is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Psy is known domestically for his humorous videos and stage per ...
and performed together his song "
Gangnam Style "Gangnam Style" ( ko, 강남스타일, ) is a K-pop song by South Korean rapper Psy, released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment as the lead single of his sixth studio album, ''Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1'' (''Ssai Yukgap Part 1''). The term ...
" and her 2008 single, "
Give It 2 Me "Give It 2 Me" is a song by American singer and songwriter Madonna, featured on her 11th studio album ''Hard Candy''. It was released on June 24, 2008, by Warner Bros. Records as the second single from the album. The song was written by Madon ...
". "Music" opened the final section of the
Rebel Heart Tour The Rebel Heart Tour was the tenth concert tour by American singer Madonna, staged in support of her thirteenth studio album, ''Rebel Heart'' (2015). Comprising 82 shows, the tour visited North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It began on S ...
(2015–2016), with Madonna decked in a "Harlem-flapper-meets-Paris-in-the-Twenties" dress, adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals. The song "began as a Jazz Age ballad before kicking into banger mode". Madonna's dancers were dressed in
Golden Twenties The Golden Twenties ( also known as the Happy Twenties (german: Glückliche Zwanziger Jahre), was a five-year time period within the decade of the 1920s in Germany. The era began in 1924 after the end of the hyperinflation following on World ...
inspired costumes with one of them
topless Toplessness refers to the state in which a woman's breasts, including her areolas and nipples, are exposed, especially in a public place or in a visual medium. The male equivalent is barechestedness, also commonly called shirtlessness. Expose ...
. Joe Lynch from ''Billboard'', opined that "the presence of 'Music' was an effective reminder that while some compulsive naysayers ''tsk'' the Queen of Pop for trend chasing with
Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...
, she brought techno to the pop mainstream years before
EDM EDM or E-DM may refer to: Music * Electronic dance music * Early Day Miners, American band Science and technology * Electric dipole moment * Electrical discharge machining * Electronic distance measurement *Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...
was an ubiquitous term". The performance of the song at the March 19–20, 2016 shows in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
's
Allphones Arena The Sydney SuperDome (currently known as the Qudos Bank Arena) is a large multipurpose arena located in Sydney, Australia. It is situated in Sydney Olympic Park, and was completed in 1999 as part of the facilities for the 2000 Summer Olympics ...
was recorded and released in the live album, ''
Rebel Heart Tour The Rebel Heart Tour was the tenth concert tour by American singer Madonna, staged in support of her thirteenth studio album, ''Rebel Heart'' (2015). Comprising 82 shows, the tour visited North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It began on S ...
''. On December 6, 2016, Madonna performed "Music" during the
Carpool Karaoke Carpool Karaoke is a recurring segment on ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'', in which host James Corden invites famous musical guests to sing along to their songs with him whilst traveling in a car driven by Corden on a planned route usual ...
segment of ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show on CBS. It is the fourth and current iteration of '' The Late Late Show''. Airing in the U.S. from Monday to Friday nights at 12:37:28a ...
''. On April 30, 2022, Madonna joined singer
Maluma Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born 28 January 1994), known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor. Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, recording songs since age sixteen. ...
during his Medallo en el mapa concert in
Medellín Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
, Colombia to perform "Music" along with their 2019 single "
Medellín Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
".


Cover versions and media appearance

In 2004, Canadian tech-metal band
Out of Your Mouth Out of Your Mouth was a Canadian hard rock band from Calgary, Alberta. It was fronted by guitarist, vocalist, producer, and writer Jason Darr. History Darr, a singer-songwriter, brought together a group of local Calgary musicians under the name F ...
released a
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of "Music" as their debut single. Vocalist Jason Darr commented, "I absolutely love her, I've bought her records and when she came out with that song it was like I was hit over the head with it". In 2007,
The Dynamics The Dynamics were an American R&B group from Detroit, Michigan. The Dynamics were formed in the early 1960s. Their first hit was 1963's "Misery", which formed the basis for the Who's first record, " Zoot Suit". In the late 1960s the group was ...
recorded and released an eight-minute reggae cover on their album ''Versions Excursions''. David Dacks from ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' was satisfied with the recording, saying that it "fares well too, with the lyrics adapting well to a reggae context". French metal band
Eths Eths (variably stylized as eths and ETHS) is a French extreme metal band from Marseille. History Eths formed in 1996 under the name What's the fuck, with a lineup consisting of vocalist–guitarist Stéphane Bihl and guitarist Grégory ...
added a cover of the song as a bonus track on their third studio album '' III'' (2012). In addition, remixed
eurodance Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...
cover versions of the song have appeared on the ''
Dancemania ''Dancemania'' is a series of remix compilation albums by i-DANCE. The series deals primarily with dance music, especially Eurodance. Despite many of its tracks being made by various musicians from all over the world and mainly from the European ...
'' series albums, including an uptempo cover remix by Nancy and the Boys on the 2001 album ''
Dancemania Speed ''Dancemania Speed'' is a sub-series of Toshiba EMI's ''Dancemania'' compilation series. This series features faster, further remixed versions of recordings from previously released ''Dancemania'' albums or faster remixed covers of various famous ...
6''. "Music" was featured during the ninth season of American
reality competition Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
series, ''
RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
''. It was used as the lip-sync song for the sixth episode, between contestants
Peppermint Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a hybrid species of mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world.Euro+Med Plantba ...
and
Cynthia Lee Fontaine Cynthia Lee Fontaine is the stage name of Carlos Díaz Hernández, a Puerto Rican drag performer and reality television personality from Austin, Texas, best known for competing on the RuPaul's Drag Race (season 8), eighth and RuPaul's Drag Race ( ...
, with the former winning the round. The runway that week was themed around Madonna's iconic looks. Madonna herself referenced "Music" in her 13th studio album, ''
Rebel Heart ''Rebel Heart'' is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released by Interscope Records on March 6, 2015. She worked on the album throughout 2014, co-writing and co-producing it with various musicians, including Di ...
'' (2015), in the track "Veni Vidi Vici" by singing the line: "I saw a Ray of Light / Music saved my life".


Track listings and formats

* US 7" / CD single / Cassette single # "Music" (Album Version) – 3:44 # "Cyberraga" – 5:31 * US DVD single # "Music" (Long Video Version) – 4:45 # "Music" (Short Video Version) – 4:23 * US 2× 12" vinyl # A1 "Music" ( H Q2 Club Mix) – 8:50 # A2 "Music" (
Groove Armada Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles "At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of w ...
12" Mix) – 5:30 # B1 "Music" ( Calderone Anthem Mix) – 11:55 # B2 "Music" (Album Version) – 3:44 # C1 "Music" ( Deep Dish Dot Com Remix) – 11:21 # D1 "Music" ( The Young Collective Club Remix) – 13:16 * Canadian / Japanese / US Maxi-CD / Digital single # "Music" (HQ2 Club Mix) – 8:50 # "Music" (Calderone Anthem Mix) – 11:55 # "Music" (Deep Dish Dot Com Remix) – 11:21 # "Music" (Groove Armada Club Mix) – 9:29 # "Music" (The Young Collective Club Mix) – 13:16 # "Music" (HQ2 Radio Mix) – 3:59 # "Music" (Calderone Radio Edit) – 4:25 # "Music" (Deep Dish Dot Com Radio Edit) – 4:15 # "Music" (Groove Armada 12" Mix) – 5:30 * European 12" picture disc / UK 12" vinyl # A1 "Music" (Deep Dish Dot Com Remix) – 11:21 # A2 "Music" (Album Version) – 3:44 # B1 "Music" (Groove Armada Club Mix) – 9:29 # B2 "Music" (Groove Armada GA 12" Mix) – 5:30 * Australian CD single 1 # "Music" (Album Version) – 3:44 # "Music" (Deep Dish Dot Com UK Radio Mix) – 3:59 # "Music" (Groove Armada's 7" Edit) – 3:38 # "Music" (Deep Dish Dot Com Remix) – 11:21 # "Music" (Groove Armada GA 12" Mix) – 5:30 # "Music" (Groove Armada Bonus Beats) – 4:51 # "Music" (Groove Armada Club Mix) – 9:29 # "Music" (Short Video Version) – 4:23 # "Music" (Long Video Version) – 4:45 * Australian CD single 2 # "Music" (Album Version) – 3:44 # "Music" (Calderone Radio Edit) – 4:25 # "Music" (HQ2 7" Mix) – 3:59 # "Music" (The Young Collective Radio Mix) – 3:48 # "Music" (Calderone Anthem Mix) – 11:55 # "Music" (HQ2 Club Mix) – 8:50 # "Music" (The Young Collective Club Mix) – 13:16 ;Other Versions *
Dave Aude Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...
Vocal Anthem – 8:23 * Dave Aude Rubber Dub – 7:26 * Dave Aude Radio Mix – 3:29


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD single and ''Music''.


Management

*Recorded at
Sarm West Studios Sarm Studios is an independent recording studio in London. Originally founded in east London in 1973, the studio's original location was renamed Sarm East Studios in 1982 when Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn purchased Basing Street Studios from Isl ...
,
Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road M ...
,
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
*Mixed at
Olympic Studios Olympic Studios was a renowned British independent commercial recording studio based in Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century, including Jimi Hendr ...
, London *Mastered at
Metropolis Studios Metropolis Studios is a music production and entertainment industry company established in 1989 by Gary Langan, Carey Taylor and Karin Clayton.Donald Brackett It is located in the Powerhouse, a Grade II listed building, at 70 Chiswick High Ro ...
, London *Managed by Caresse Henry for Caliente Management *Webo Girl Publishing, Inc., Warner Bros. Music Corp (ASCAP), 1000 Lights Music Ltd, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)


Personnel

* Madonna – songwriter, producer, vocals *
Mirwais Ahmadzaï Mirwais Ahmadzaï (born 23 October 1960), known mononymously as Mirwais, is a French electronic dance music record producer and songwriter. Born in Switzerland to an Afghan father and an Italian mother, Ahmadzaï was a member of the defunct 198 ...
 – songwriter, producer, programming, guitar, keyboard * Keeling Lee – additional guitar * Jonathan 'Stan' White – bass guitar * Patrick Dawes – percussion *
Mark "Spike" Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed She ...
 – mixing * Jake Davies – engineer *
Mark Endert Mark Endert is a Grammy award winning American music producer, mixer, arranger and musician. Biography From the early 1990s to the present, Endert is credited on albums spanning a wide array of musical genres with sales totaling more than 90 mil ...
 – engineer * Kevin Reagan – art direction, design * Matthew Lindauer – design *
Jean-Baptiste Mondino Jean-Baptiste Mondino (born Aubervilliers, France on 21 July 1949) is a French fashion photographer and music video director. He has directed music videos for Madonna, David Bowie, Sting, Björk, Don Henley, Neneh Cherry, Axel Bauer and Les Rita ...
 – photography


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications and sales

!scope="col" colspan="3", Physical , - !scope="col" colspan="3", Digital , - !scope="col" colspan="3", Video , -


See also

*
List of number-one singles of 2000 (Australia) The ARIA Singles Chart ranks the best-performing singles in Australia. Its data, published by the Australian Recording Industry Association, is based collectively on each single's weekly physical and digital sales. There were 20 Number 1 singles ...
*
List of number-one singles of 2000 (Canada) This is a list of Canada's number-one singles of 2000. ''RPM (magazine), RPM'' was a Canadian magazine that published the best-performing single (music), singles of Canada from 1964 to 2000. The final ''RPM'' chart was issued on 6 November 2000, ...
* List of European number-one hits of 2000 *
List of number-one hits of 2000 (Italy) This is a list of the number-one hits and albums of 2000 on Italian Charts. See also *2000 in music * List of number-one hits in Italy References External linksHit Parade Italia
*
List of number-one songs in Norway This list shows the songs which have been number one on the official chart list (VG-lista) in Norway. The single list started in 1958, and the albums list in 1967. The show is broadcast every Wednesday by NRK P3, one of Norwegian Broadcasting ...
*
List of number-one singles from the 2000s (New Zealand) In New Zealand, the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) compiles the top forty singles chart each week. Sales of songs determined 75% of the sorting information, and radio airplay figures were responsible for 25%. From 18 April ...
*
List of number-one singles in Poland This is a list of the number-one singles of the Polish Airplay Chart. List of number-one singles See also * Polish music charts * ZPAV * List of number-one dance singles in Poland This is a list of the number-one singles of the Polish Danc ...
*
List of Romanian Top 100 number ones of the 2000s Founded in 1995, the Romanian Top 100 was the national music chart of Romania. It was compiled by broadcast monitoring services Body M Production A-V (1990s and 2000s) and by Media Forest (2010s), and measured the airplay of songs on radio statio ...
*
List of number-one singles of 2000 (Spain) This is a list of the Spanish PROMUSICAE Top 20 Singles number-ones of 2000. Chart history See also *2000 in music *List of number-one hits (Spain) References

{{Spanish number-one hits Lists of number-one songs in Spain, 2000 2000 recor ...
*
List of number-one singles of the 2000s (Switzerland) This is a list of singles that reached number one on the Swiss Hitparade from the years 2000 to 2009 by week each reached the top of the chart. Number-one singles See also *2000s in music References {{SwissNumber1s Number-one singles ...
* List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles of 2000 * List of number-one dance singles of 2000 (U.S.) *
List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 2000s The UK Singles Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. In the 2000s the chart week ran from Sunday to Saturday, and the top 40 singles were revealed each Sunday on BBC Radio 1. Before the ...


References


Citations


Book sources

* * * * * * * * * *


External links


"Music"
at Acclaimed Music * {{Authority control 2000 singles 2000 songs 2000 video albums Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Disco songs Funk songs Madonna songs Madonna video albums Maverick Records singles Music videos directed by Jonas Åkerlund Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in Greece Number-one singles in Hungary Number-one singles in Iceland Number-one singles in Italy Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in Norway Number-one singles in Poland Number-one singles in Portugal Number-one singles in Romania Number-one singles in Spain Number-one singles in Switzerland Oricon International Singles Chart number-one singles RPM Top Singles number-one singles UK Singles Chart number-one singles Song recordings produced by Madonna Song recordings produced by Mirwais Ahmadzaï Songs about music Songs written by Madonna Songs written by Mirwais Ahmadzaï Sting (musician) Warner Records singles